The number
of FM translators providing public radio service increased
145 percent during the reporting period, from approximately
300 in 1989 to 739 currently.

The
population receiving public radio only through
a FM translator at the 60 dBu level is 3,137,650,
or slightly over 1 percent of the U.S. population.

The 24 states west of the Mississippi
River contain 579 translators which provide sole public
radio service to 2,011,996 people.

There
are 160 translators in the states east of the Mississippi
River which provide sole public radio service to 1,125,654
people.

The five states with
the largest populations served solely by translators are: Pennsylvania
(387,858), Colorado (232,392), Utah (220,287), Indiana
(194,749) and Arizona (182,786).

We
emphasize that many of the translators included in this
study provide an additional service to an area which is
also served by another translator or another full-power
station. We have not calculated the total number of people
who can receive a FM translator or the number of people
who can receive a FM translator and another service. The
populations cited in the above bullets are only those people
who rely on FM translators for their only public radio
service.

We must
note that translators operate at low power in both the
reserved and non-reserved frequencies and are not protected
by the FCC. Therefore,
they may be displaced as full-power stations acquire or
change frequencies.